6 years after BiLateral Tram flap, increasing pain, Back pro

Hearing more horror stories saddens me. I feel many of us need to speak out on this topic. By educating others we can perhaps gather some help for ourselves. Please send an email to: _[removed]_ and comment if you'd like to be a part of a story for the media. We need to get this word out... our lives have been traumatized and there is no accountability!

My story is much like yours in the breaking open and not healing and stuffing with wet saline.  No help from surgeon; keep it up.  I went to my general physician.  She had me sunbathe nude, but I lived in town so I couldn't.  I got a heat lamp and put it high on a dining room chair and laid under it being careful not to burn.  I immediately saw healing.  After healing I saw the real botched job.  I have no waist, my navel is not in the right place, excuse me but my pubic area is huge (larger than my butt), I have no definition between my breasts and my stomach (my bra comes up over my breasts when I reach up), I have all this extra flesh under my arms which he was to remove and didn't, and the worst other than the lack of definition is that my chest is hollow and I cannot find tops that look right or fit right.

I am wondering now if I can have a breast lift to fill in the hollow area.  Anyone know?  After all of my reading I am afraid of implants even though my oncologist recommends them (she has one, but for only 1 yr.)  Since my original surgery was from cancer it was covered by insurance.  Will whatever I have done now still be covered?  Can I have anything done?

any additional surgery should be covered by your insurance. My insurance company told me I could have another surgery to make both sides equal, since the tramflap side got much bigger in the 16 years since original surgery. My navel isn't in the right place either, and my pubic mound is huge, too. I think this is due to the mesh that was put across my abdomen. Call your insurance company and have them look at your policy.

Hi,



You say that if feels like a rope constantly around your waist but that you had that fixed with surgery.

Can you tell me what they did as that is how I feel too, along with the feeling of having a watermelon pulling down. I too was a size 8, now well my life too is over. They say wow you get a tummy tuck for free, what rubbish, did you have mesh as well. I have problems with the mesh too.

Anyway I hope you can let me know how they fixed the rope feeling.



Take care, thank you and God Bless You

Wow, I'm glad I stumbled upon this website! I had my bi-lat tram flap surgery about 2.5 years ago. Had the EXACT same promise of the "free tummy tuck" plus my plastic surgeon described this as the "Cadillac" of breast reconstruction. I never would have chosen this surgery if I had known the full story. Every bit of literature I read mentioned the obvious complications, but never did I see any mention of the tightness, bloating, or pain. They never even mentioned diep flap to me. He said it would all be easier than implants in the long run because it would all be done in just one major surgery and then all I would need later was the simple nipple reconstruction. Plus, this was my second occurance of breast cancer and I'd just been told that this time I have to have my breasts removed, so I wasn't in too good of mental condition when I had to choose a reconstruction plan.

So how did my Cadillac breasts turn out? Well, they were just plain hideous mishapen lumps for the longest time. The surgeon kept saying "They look great!" They did not look great. i finally just stopped seeing him. I was doing chemo and I was bald and sick and just couldn't even think about it anymore. After I finished my year of herceptin treatments and got some hair back, I finally began working with a new plastic surgeon. He's been great. Over the last year he's done three rounds of scar revision and micro-fat implants to fill in all the dips and hollows. He's also liposuctioned the areas under my breasts to help define the shape, and, finally the nipple reconstruction. He's actually been incredibly helpful, patient, and creative (considering he's cleaning up someone else's mess.) I go in Thursday for what, hopefully, will be my last round of fat implants and scar revisions.

My new doc tells me there has been much progress in this area in just the last couple of years. The fat implants are great! They liposuction your own fat from another area and then use a needle to implant the fat cells in the hollow areas. The fat cells then just start actiing like regular fat cells in that area and they fill in and grow and look and feel just like any other part of my body. We've done it in several stages because not all the cells take (especially on my right side, where I had radiation on my first round of breast cancer.) It works best if you do a little, see how it looks in 3 or 4 months and then do a little more, etc.

Really, please see another surgeon if you are not satisfied with the appearance of your reconstructed breasts -- there's only so much they can do, but I am way happier than I was a year ago. You're not in a rush or a panic now, so take your time and get some recommendations if you can. I have to travel about an hour to see my new surgeon, but it's well worth the drive. Insurance should cover it -- it's still part of the reconstruction process that they are required to cover.

Unfortunately, my doc said he can't do anything about the discomfort I feel from the mesh. That's what got me googling tram flap pain. Someone else here mentioned swim therapy or stretching exercises -- can anyone give more details on what works? I feel like I need to start doing something now so maybe it won't get worse as it has for many of you.

Thanks for sharing your stories. It is great to know I'm not alone.

 

I, too, am really grateful to know I'm not alone in my struggles. In a couple weeks, I'm going back for a 2nd mesh implant. I've always been a pretty upbeat, positive person with a pretty high pain tolerance, but by March of this year, I was really tired of the massive lump in my stomach, the constant nauseau and down right pain. My surgeon's a nice guy - he saw the mess, apologized, and got me in immediately to fix it. Unfortunately, I developed post-op pneumonia and an infection from the cathedor. In spite of my constant nagging, it took the doctors three weeks to finally recognize that the cough was pneumonia and the blood in my urine was something that needed addressing! By that point, I was so weak, I truly thought I was going to die. I coughed so hard the internal stitches were torn open and the mesh balled up inside me. The bulge, the pain and the nauseau is back with a vengance and it took me months to convince the doctors that it's not all in my head.

This time, they're supposedly using a new procedure with more mesh, bigger, stronger, and hopefully more successful - however, they've already informed me the risk of perforating a bowel, the risk of infection (this will be the 6th time through the same incision), and the risk of recurrance is all much greater this time.

AM I NUTS FOR PUTTING MYSELF THROUGH THIS AGAIN?

I don't know what to think. I'm 50 years old, which is much too young to feel this damned old!

Hi, I too suffered mesh issues, it was so tight I could not move properly etc. A surgeon inserted more mesh, this really did not relieve any issues and made a previous small bulge huge. I do not mean to frighten you by this but I am just wanting you to know what happened to me. I had Dr Raz at UCLA do it, overall I am very disappointed and heart broken. The one thing he did to ensure my chances of infection from the bowel was 5 day prior to surgery I was allowed to only have tea/coffee (milk) and Broth, no solid foods. and 3 days before surgery I had to take Laxatives as Dr Raz did not want any "decal" matter in my bowels. I really wish you luck and hope your surgery is a complete success. I was 48 when I was butchered for a bi lateral tram flap. What is the "new procedure" they are going to use, can you tell us here as the more info we have to share hopefully we can all try to help each other.



Rose

Thanks Rose - your input really helps - especially the pre-op instructions you were given. I should have been more clear - the procedure they are doing isn't really a new procedure, just a different technique then they used on me the first time. But, your input means a lot to me. My PS referred me to a general surgeon who will put in the mesh. He does a lot of laproscopic work but when he heard he would be doing the work through a tram, he felt that could be too risky and could lead to even more hernias, so he and the PS will be working together. My bulge, evidentally, is in a rather odd area, several inches higher than most I guess, so they tell me its a little complex. Well anyway, the surgeon's nurse suggested I shower the evening before then use some kind of a surgical wipe across my stomach and then show up the next morning. I read on the packaging that the wipe is only effective for a maximum of 6 hours, so it didn't make sense to me. No mentions of fasting, laxatives, nothing, which also didn't make sense to me. I sent the PS an email asking about it and was told to follow the GS directives. Thanks to you, I'll be asking a whole lot more questions!!

I am 62 and 17 yrs from my tram flap. I did fine until my cancer came back 2008 and they had to remove my reconstructed breast. I felt something wasn't right when I came home and ever since then I have increased in my abdomen area in size. My weight has gradualy increased too. I have burning, tightness, pain and a small knot out from my navel. Dr. said its not hernia and I haven't went any further with this. Having found these blogs I am shocked that my tram is no longer holding up. I have the problem of clothes fitting and anything around my waist hurting. I intend to see my dr soon. I have pain below my shoulder blades in my back when standing very long in the kitchen. Do any of you have this problem too? I am still in shock that I may have to live with this bulge. This is so disheartening to find out that the very surgery that was to give me back a step to normal life now robs me of it. I lost my reconstructed breast the next year due to radiation when the cancer came back the second time. So all that pain and suffering for this. You are all in my prayers.

2012dap; what a shock it must have been for you to have developed this problem after so many years. The doctors explained to me too, that these bulges aren't hernias, but can be treated somewhat like them. But that said, I'm going back next week to have this thing repaired a second time and they've warned me of potential complications and recurrence. It scares the daylights out of me but I don't want to live this way. I get more depressed everyday. I haven't heard of anyone yet who's successfully conquered this but I'm hoping that they are out there and just so busy living a normal life, they aren't writing their stories!!

My PS told me that my knot is not a hernia either. He said that he wouldn't be able to do anything until I lost the stomach fat. My navel started leaking a couple of years ago and the stomach pooched out and was pointed to the right. I have been to 3 Doctors who didn't seem alarmed. The pain I have from this surgery has left me unable to do things that I took for granted pre-breast cancer.. The weight has been coming on since chemo(I gained weight every month) and the tomoxifen also caused weight gain. The Doctors just seem to see another post menopausal woman(64) who has let herself go. I also take an antidepressant - have had several losses in our lives(Our Son, My Mother and My older brother. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth living with chronic pain, but it seems I don't have a choice.

I too, suffer all these symptoms. Had 1st cancer surgery, after 3 series of chemo, (18 months) taxol last. Left me w permanent nerve damage, must use walker. This was 14 yrs ago. Had rads (4 months everyday, after mast, w tram) thought that might have caused probs., bu no longer. Currentlyhave recurrence, metast. To bone ovary, and they have found mass on adrenal gland! This is all on rht side, same as original diag. Always asked docs over yrs, if the pain and problems were from tram. But of course was always denied! Now that I have found all of you. I feel vindicated! Notime, I too, have lost my dad, and older brother, within WEEKS of original diag. (which was day after my 40th bday on aug 30th, my bday is 29th!, 14 yrs ago Anninersary last wk) and lost my mom to pancreatic cancer 4 yrs ago. I am 54, but feel 90. My rht breast (cancer 1) looks like a small dimply dried up orange! The other, which I had reduced, had 36 D breasts before cancer, looks like an over ripe cantaloupe and is so heavy and uncomfortable it's difficult to do anything. I try to keep it light and funny! For fear if I dwell on it too much, I'll go off the deep end! So happy I found you all! You are ALL in my prayers. Was stage 3 B, 1st time. Really didn't expect it to come back, (stupid, I know) even thou I am 4th generation cancer. From breast, to primary brain,to my dearest Mum, who had breast twice then intestinal, and sadly passed. From panc. Cancer. Everyone take care of yourselves.

My name is Bonnie Roy and I am a 15 year cancer survivor. I am grateful, but yet the constant

theapies that the Tram Flap "nightmare" has really left me dealing with pain management and

endless therapies. A while back a t.v. station on I believe channel 11 did a story on tram flap

procedures. They perhaps would want to interview more that this has happened to. Would anyone

be interested?

I am very interested in this

I am too!